6.6 L in-line & 160hp... would you purchase?

[the_experience03]

My 185 hp 6.6L Brazilian (this would be the high output version) has been nothing but 100% reliable and contrary to popular belief, parts ARE available for them. I think all the Brazilians have a reputation for being a bit "gutless" but all buses are and more power is only a few turns of a few screws away.

[the_experience03]

They were manufactured in Brazil by Ford's New Holland tractor division. Yes, they are a tractor engine, just as the Cummins 5.9 started life. I have not had to buy parts for mine other than filters and such which are stocked at any parts store worth a damn. Heck, I could probably even track down the part numbers if you wanted. I've just researched other parts like the water pump (after hearing a horror story from a guy) and found that A1 Cardone remans them and ASC makes them and I could get it overnight and for ~$150 I believe.

My local Ford dealer didn't have a lot of experience with them as they don't deal with a lot of medium duty trucks, but sure enough they had all the manuals and diagrams on microfiche and were more than helpful.

These trucks use a Bosch M-W inline injection pump which is pretty generic. It's similar though not the same as the much coveted P-Pump the Dodge guys love. The moral of the story is that it's extremely reliable, WVO-friendly, and you can turn up the power by adjusting some screws internal to it (there is obviously a limit to how far you can go). Write-ups galore exist on Google though one of our very own members has one of the best.

The 165 hp isn't going to hurt your top speed. It might make it a little tougher to maintain speed on long hills (the nemesis of any bus) but that's ok because it keeps other systems (like the turbo, transmission, and rear end) running happily at a reasonable temperature.

[lapeer20m]

excellent reliability

good fuel economy

not much power

like the previous poster mentioned, it is a Ford 6.6 liter inline 6 cylinder made in Brazil by the New Holland division of ford motor company.

you can turn up the hp and the governor for free by just turning a couple of screws. I would do both mod's if i ever buy another 6.6 liter.

Mine always started, even when it was near zero degrees.

I had about 300K miles on mine when i sold it. The electric fuel shutoff solenoid went bad on me, and i put a water pump on it. I also burned about 1K gallons of veggie oil in that engine.

[the_experience03]

Originally Posted by emcnie

thanks Lapeer.
I really like the reliability factor... very important!
does it have enough power to tow a car behind the truck?
Would it mean 40 mph going up a hill or 20 mph?
Last time I moved I rented one of those Penske trucks and towed a truck behind it... I only made up yo 30 mph going up hills on I-80. That was was pretty horrible.

It depends on the hill. My 185 horse isn't going to pull more than 45 on a long 6% grade and I wouldn't want it to anyway as my EGT's and trans temp skyrockets. It's the nature of the beast. However, smaller hills shouldn't be much of a problem. It sounds a lot worse than it really is, but I don't think 100 more horsepower would help you much.